Toward Tomorrow
by Lady's Secret
Summary: Akhmenrah and Alexandria have a life together and beautiful daughter. However, when the tablet's powers begin to die out, the museum gang heads to London to figure out how to save the magic. However, the steep price that has to be paid to save the tablet may not be payable when Larry and the group learn what it is.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Here is the sequel to my second Night At The Museum fanfic Always Yours. Hopefully you, the readers will enjoy it. Remember, I sadly do not own NATM or the characters. Constructive criticism is encouraged!

Chapter One

"Zahra, would you come downstairs for breakfast?" I was one lucky woman indeed. I was happily married with a beautiful, but very stubborn daughter. A few months after Zahra had been born, I retired as a night guard to be a full time stay at home mom. Akhmenrah continued on at the museum. We had tried for a second child, hoping to provide our daughter with a sibling to play with, but health issues had quickly crushed that dream, leaving me unable to carry a second child.

"Mum, when will I be able to go to the museum again? I want to see the miniatures." Now that Zahra was twelve, almost thirteen, Akhmenrah and I had discussed when we could reveal everything to her. Not just the fact that the museum comes to life at night, but the fact that she herself was a Princess by birth.

"Well, we'll wait for your father to get home before I decide." Within moments, Akhmenrah came in. He sat down across from me, with Zahra sitting in her usual spot.

"Well Zahra, you're almost thirteen and your mother and I have been discussing this for a while, and we've decided that you're old enough to come to the museum at night. However, you'll only be coming on Friday and Saturday nights during the school year."

"Finally! I've been begging you for months to take me. I don't get what's so exciting about a museum at night though." Her father and I exchanged a 'I know something you don't' glance at each other.

"Well, you'll understand when you get there. Hurry up, Taylor will be here to pick you up for school." Taylor had been my daughter's best friend since preschool, and they were like twins. The girls were inseperable.

"Alright. See you when I get back. Love you." I smiled as I waved her and Taylor off.

"I love you too. Have a good day." Once Zahra was out of earshot, we started talking.

"How do you think she'll take everything?" Akhmenrah smiled.

"Zahra's a smart girl. She'll do fine. No doubt she'll be very surprised though. Maybe even angry."

"Why would she be angry?" I asked curiously.

"We've hidden this from her for almost thirteen years. She'll wonder why we didn't tell her sooner."

"Then we'll have to tell her that we wanted to make sure she was old enough to keep the secret." The entire day had gone by in a blur. Since both of my parents had died eleven years ago, it was hard to not be able to turn to my mother for emotional support, but I knew she would always be watching over us.

"Mum, I'm home!"

"I'm in the kitchen!" Zahra really hadn't changed much since she was a baby.

"How was school?"

"Boring as always. We've started studying Ancient Egypt in history class, so that's pretty cool. I never thought that one point in time could be filled with so much drama."

"Well, back then, everyone was wanting power and willing to do whatever it took to get it." I said, placing dinner on the table.

"I always thought high school was bad." I nodded.

"Eat up, you've got a long night ahead of you." Zahra was excited at getting to finally come to the museum at night, she couldn't stop talking about it. Looking at her now, Kahmunrah had been right along. She really was a great beauty.

"Get some stuff together that you want to take. You'll need it." Though Zahra was confused as to what I meant, she did as I told her to do. Coming downstairs, I was ready to go.

"Ready?" Zahra nodded.

"Yeah, I'm ready." We got into the car and drove to the museum. Zahra, like myself had a passion for history. My mother always said that Zahra would turn out just like me. Who knew she would have been so right? When we got inside, I herded Zahra out to the lobby to sit at the front desk. I placed a blindfold over her eyes.

"Mum, what's all this for?"

"Just trust me, alright? It's going to be a great surprise." I missed being able to come to the museum. This place held a lot of memories for me. When everyone woke up, I motioned for Rexy to be quiet, which he did, but he did sniff my daughter curiously. I took the blindfold off.

"Alright, you can open your eyes."

"Mom, I – I don't understand how all of this possible!" Rexy showed the usual signs of wanting to play, so I showed Zahra that he liked to play fetch with one of his ribs.

"Zahra, come with me. I have someone I want you to meet." We headed upstairs to the museum's Egyptian wing, passing several other exhibits along the way. Zahra was able to get along with everyone quite easily. As we entered the room, memories of my time here as night guard came flooding back to me. The jackal guards recognized me and allowed me entrance.

"Zahra, this is cause of everything that's going on."

"I didn't know the tablet of Akhmenrah was so powerful. I always thought it was just a legend."

"Well, there's a lot more to this gold tablet than just looking nice." Akhmenrah came back. The ceremonial robes he wore so often still fit him perfectly. I had to resist the temptation of getting naughty.

"Well, Zahra there's a good reason why your father and I waited so long to bring you here." She blinked.

"I would hope so." I turned to Akhmenrah.

"Where's Kahmunrah? I thought he would be here by now."

"He said he needed to get something." Just as Akhmenrah finished that sentence, his brother showed up.

"How have you been? It's been far too long."

"Zahra certainly keeps me busy." I turned back to my daughter. I was going to be the one to tell her.

"So what's up?"

"Zahra, now, you need to promise that you'll keep secret what I'm about to tell you." She nodded. If there was one thing Zahra was good at besides playing soccer, it was keeping secrets.

"Okay, what's the big secret?"

"Well, this will come as a shock to you, but you are a Princess of Egypt by birth. I'm only royal by marriage. You are royal by blood." Her mouth dropped open.

"Mum, you're not serious are you?"

"She's very serious. This is why we waited so long to tell you. We wanted to be sure you could keep the secret." After Zahra was allowed to get over the shock of being told she was a Princess, we explained everything else to her.

"I have got to be the luckiest kid on earth. Not only is my father a former Pharaoh, I'm a Princess!"

"This is something that needs to be kept secret though. Nobody can know, not even Taylor."

"Oh." There was a moment of silence.

"I know this is a lot to take in on your first night here, but your father and I thought you're old enough to handle the truth now that you're almost thirteen." Once I had finished explaining everything, I let Zahra go wander off on her own. When I went to the lobby a few minutes later, I saw she had started a soccer game.

"How did you get so good?" I saw that Sacagawea had become friends with her.

"I play on my school team. It's tough, but it's something I enjoy." Now that I thought about it, I knew my daughter's life would never be the same. However, to my surprise, Zahra did not turn into a spoiled brat since finding out she was a Princess, but it seemed to change her into wanting to help others more.

"It's what Princesses do." She told me when I asked her about it. True to her nature, she kept the secret. Zahra was always a very sweet child, thinking of others instead of thinking of herself. That morning, I had presented her with a new pair of mittens for the cold weather that was coming in. However, when she got home, she didn't have them.

"Zahra, where are those mittens I gave you?"

"Oh, those? I gave them to a kid whose mum couldn't get a good pair. He needed them more than I did." I gave her a hug, grateful to have such a thoughtful child.

"I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks. Mum, can Taylor stay here for a bit? She's having problems at home and doesn't feel safe there." I knew that Taylor's parents weren't the greatest, but since her mother had gotten that new boyfriend, that girl's personality changed a great deal.

"Sure, what's up with her?" Zahra only gave me a few details, but they were enough for me to agree to let her stay with us.

"Zahra, if even half of what you told me is true, any responsible person wouldn't leave Taylor where she is now." Quickly grabbing the keys to the car, Zahra and I left. She had sent Taylor a text message, telling her to grab some clothes and meet her at Central Park, across from the museum. When I saw her, I didn't like what I saw. She had a black eye, a cut on her cheek and surely had many more bruises.

"Thanks for doing this."

"No problem. You're safe now, and any responsible adult wouldn't leave you in that dump that your mother calls a house."

"Mum, can Taylor come to the museum tonight? That way we can keep an eye on her."

"Well, we'll see what your father thinks of it, but I see no reason why not."

"I've never been to the museum before." Taylor was becoming a bit withdrawn. When we got back, I sat her down and asked her what happened.

"I know it'll be hard to talk about, but I need to know what happened so we can get the police involved and get you away from your mother." Part of me wished I hadn't asked her that question.

"I'd get beaten for getting food from the fridge and my mum's boyfriend put his hands in places he shouldn't have." I wanted to be sick. Physical abuse AND sexual molestation? No child should ever have to go through that. I called the police, who came over and took statements from both girls, and a doctor had also been brought in to examine Taylor.

"Well doctor? Are the signs there?" The lead police officer asked.

"The signs are there. That poor girl has been sexually molested, no doubt about it." We were then left alone, and I wasn't sure what to do.

"Taylor, you're coming to the museum tonight. I'm not leaving you here on your own, I won't risk it."

"Thanks for everything." I gave her a hug.

"No problem. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." Taylor was grateful for my help. I could tell. Zahra sat with her until Akhmenrah came home.

"Taylor, trust me when I say you'll love the museum. It's a lot of fun." Taylor seemed a little unsure, but she had never been into history like Zahra was, and enjoyed designing clothes. I guess opposites really did attract.

"Zahra, how much fun could this museum be, anyway?"

"Just trust me. However, you have to promise that you won't tell anyone about what you see, except for me and my parents." The two girls pinky-swore on that.

"Zahra, go show Taylor around whilst I take care of some other things."

"Sure, mum. Alright, where should we start?"

"That tablet is glowing." Taylor mentioned casually.

"Yeah, it does that. I'll take you in for a closer look." Taylor was of course surprised that the statues were moving. Museum exhibits didn't do that!

"You see Taylor, this tablet brings the exhibits in the museum to life at night. However, nobody can be outside when the sun comes up or they turn to dust."

"Wicked. Can it do other stuff?"

"According to what my father told me, the tablet can also bring the dead back to life and open a gate to the underworld."

"How come you never told me?"

"Taylor, believe me, I wanted to. However, I only found out about this recently myself, and there's more." The other girl blinked.

"What do you mean more?"

"Before I tell you, promise me you won't tell anyone besides my parents."

"I promise. So, what is it?"

"Well, this will come as a shock to you, but my father Akhmenrah was at one point on display here. He was a Pharaoh during the 4th dynasty in Egypt, and he and my mother used the tablet's powers to make him alive again. Due to that, my mother is a Princess by marriage and I am a Princess by birth." Taylor just couldn't believe it. Her only friend, a Princess?! She would have never guessed.

"Zahra, I-I don't know what to say."

"I was pretty shocked to, even a bit angry because this was kept from me. My parents wanted to be sure I could keep the secret."

"I could see why." The two friends began a card game.

"I guess living with you will be really cool. At least I'm away from my mother."

"Yeah. Hopefully she'll go to jail for what she did." Several long games were played and several hours passed, as Zahra explained the 'rules' of the museum to her only friend.

"Taylor, don't let this change anything. You don't have to act any differently to me because I'm royalty."

"You're still you."

"Thanks."

"That's what friends are for." The two girls then began discussing the class trip on Monday to the museum.

"It'll be interesting to see how many people even bother listening. Most people find the museum boring."

"Taylor, you thought that for quite a while." Zahra also had a sarcastic element to her personality.

"Yeah, and now I know the truth. I wonder how long it'll take our teacher to start telling Tara off for her behavior." Tara was the most popular girl at their high school, and ever since the first day of classes, she had singled Zahra and Taylor out because they were different. Then again, Zahra was the more 'exotic' of the two.

"Tara is just a very insecure person. That's why she keeps picking on us."

"Yeah, but don't forget both of your parents are from Egypt, so you're really different." At that moment, Zahra felt a splitting headache starting. Grabbing her bag, she searched for something to deal with the pain.

"Are you okay? You're a little pale."

"Just a bad headache." Checking her phone, it was less than five minutes until sunrise.

"Come on, it's almost sunrise." The two girls went down to the lobby, and arrived just as the exhibits went to sleep for the day.

Zahra could sense there was something off about the tablet, but she wasn't sure what it was.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hi readers! Hope you enjoyed the first chapter, here's the second! Also, when certain characters are speaking Egyptian, those words will be in italics. Enjoy!

Chapter Two

"Alright, everyone onto the bus please!" Zahra of course took her usual seat next to Taylor, but the two girls wound up right behind Tara.

"What on earth is that ugly thing you're wearing?"

"Tara, I'm surprised you even care. To answer your question though, the symbol is the Eye of Horus, which was a symbol of protection in Ancient Egypt."

"You're weird." Zahra muttered something under her breath at that remark. It wasn't the first time she had been called weird, and it wouldn't be the last. Then again, Tara had called her much worse than weird. Oh, if only she knew the truth.

"At least we'll be sticking together today. We can avoid Tara as much as we want." Zahra and Taylor were like twins. They were very close friends, and Zahra had even taught Taylor the language her own father spoke growing up, so they could have private conversations out in the open without people knowing what they were saying.

_'Are you sure there's something wrong with the tablet?'_

_'Taylor, I'm sure. There was something off about it on Saturday night, almost as if it was starting to struggle to stay activated.'_

_'Well, maybe you should let your dad know, maybe he can fix it.'_

_'If by chance something is wrong with the tablet, my father wouldn't be able to do much, he didn't create it, his own father did.'_

"Everyone off the bus and file inside please!" When Zahra entered the museum, she could sense a feeling of doom. Even she knew the tablet sometimes could have little mood swings, but nothing like this. The teacher had given them instructions to meet back in the lobby by 5 PM that evening to leave, and everyone split up, with Zahra and Taylor being the only students headed for the Egyptian wing. Thankfully, nobody was there.

"Will we get into trouble?"

"Providing I put the tablet back, no. Even McPhee knows the truth about this place." The two girls examined the tablet carefully, looking for any signs that could indicate something was wrong.

"I don't see anything. Do you?" Zahra shook her head.

"Not right now, I can't. I'll ask my father about it when I get home tonight. I just know there's something off." Quickly putting the tablet back before anyone saw them handling it, the two girls went to the food court for lunch.

"What makes you say there's something off?"

"Taylor, it's a bit difficult to explain. Ever since I could remember, I could always sense the tablet's powers, even when I was a baby. Sometimes the way the tablet was acting would affect how I was behaving. I know I'm not mistaken when I say something's wrong with it, I just don't know what's wrong." Their teacher had also mentioned that they would have a small guided tour of the Egyptian wing, which displeased just about everyone.

"Now remember, please don't touch anything, and if you want to take pictures, no flash photography." Most people couldn't care less about the artifacts, instead discussing school gossip. Zahra couldn't take her eyes off the tablet, studying the artifact and trying to figure out what could possibly be going on.

"Zahra, are you okay? You're really pale." Taylor put an arm around her friend's shoulders, steadying the other girl.

"I just feel really dizzy." With that, the entire room started spinning and went black. When Zahra woke up, she was laying on the floor.

"Taylor, take Zahra to the lobby and call one of her parents to come pick her up."

"Alright. Come on, you." Zahra couldn't explain what had just happened. She knew her fainting was no accident. Sitting in the lobby waiting for her mother, the young Princess wondered if something more serious was going on. When the two got home that night, Alexandria could tell something was bothering her daughter.

"How was the trip?"

"It was good, but mum, I think there's something wrong with the tablet. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I know something's wrong." Taylor nodded.

"Zahra even fainted today, and I don't think it was an accident."

"Well, when your father gets home, we'll ask him about it."

"Okay. What's for dinner?"

"I was planning on ordering a pizza. What do you girls want on it?" When Akhmenrah walked into the house he shared with the two women he loved, he could sense something was up.

"Zahra, is something wrong? You look rather forlorn."

"I think there's something wrong with the tablet. I can sense the power from it fading a little bit and I wound up fainting today as well, and I know it was no accident." Even Akhmenrah had not sensed anything unusual with the tablet. The fact that Zahra was made him believe that she truly was something special.

"I'll look at it tonight. In the mean time, do some research and record anything that might be useful." Dinner was a very quiet affair that evening, void of the usual chatter. Zahra, normally a social butterfly, was unusually quiet, which made both her parents worried.

"Zahra, have you noticed anything else strange going on lately?"

"No, I haven't." There was a moment of silence.

"Well, then we'll all have to keep a close eye on things at the museum. With that evening gala in a few weeks' time, the last thing we need is for the tablet to start acting up." Zahra was pale, even more so than normal. It worried Akhmenrah, because he knew that Zahra never lied. It wasn't in her nature.

"Maybe the tablet is having one of it's occasional mood swings." Zahra shook her head at her mother's suggestion.

"Mum, this is different. There's something wrong with the tablet. It's never had mood swings like this before. Ever." The next few days went by without any incidents, but now Akhmenrah was starting to see there was something not right going on. On one night when Larry came for a visit, they had just been heading to the diorama room to help the Romans.

"Is Zahra sure something's going on? Maybe it's one of those moody times."

"Larry, you know Zahra doesn't lie, it's not in her nature. Now I am also starting to see that there is something not right. However, things are working as they should, so I am not too worried about it." Larry nodded. His own son Nicky was in his early twenties and away at university and didn't come to the museum too often anymore.

"Nicky is coming back for the entire summer. It's amazing how much he's grown."

"What is he studying again?"

"History so he can be a history teacher. Being here all the time really helped him and inspired him."

"Nicky will make a fine teacher. His friendly personality will help, too. Zahra hasn't decided what she wants to do for a career, but her mother and I will support her with whatever she decides to do with her life." Upon the morning coming, Larry met everyone in the lobby. When Zahra and Taylor appeared, Zahra looked horribly pale. She was sweating, shaking and Taylor was having to hold onto her with a firm grip to prevent her from falling.

"Oh my god, is she okay?" Larry helped steady Zahra as the teenager tried to sit down.

"We were just coming back from the washroom and she started getting sick and threw up on the floor and she was like this." As Larry's apartment was closer, everyone went there. School had just gotten out for the summer, so there was no need to call the school. Larry made breakfast for everyone while Akhmenrah spoke with Zahra.

"How long has it been now since the tablet started acting strangely?"

"It's been three weeks now. Something is really wrong, I noticed a tiny little green spot on the tablet as well. I don't know what that's all about, but it's as if the tablet itself is dying, almost."

"Well, at least the tablet decided to behave itself during that event a few nights ago. What can we do though?"

"I will be keeping a very close eye on the tablet, and Zahra, should you choose to come to the museum, then make sure that Taylor is always with you in case you get sick again."

"Alright, I can do that." Akhmenrah however had a horrible feeling that Zahra's suspicions about the tablet dying were very true.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"So what did you think of what happened today?" Zahra sighed, running a hand through her dark hair. Her uncle had joined the two girls in a card game.

"What took place?" If there was one thing Kahmunrah honestly enjoyed, it was spending time with his niece. She was so much like him in terms of personality.

"Well, Taylor and I did a bit of shopping today with some of the money that Uncle Larry gave us for our birthday and we were having lunch in a restaurant and there were three young kids who were running around, screaming and not behaving and the parents got really nasty when they were confronted about it." Larry had been like an uncle to the two girls, and he let them call him Uncle Larry. Kahmunrah sighed. The way he had seen young children and teenagers behave these days, it amazed him. Had he dared to think to behave that way when he was a child, he would have gotten a good whipping from one of his parents. However, he tended to avoid getting into trouble, often managing to place the blame on others.

"It amazes me that children now behave the way they do. Had I even dared to think to behave that way as a child, I would have been in serious trouble." Taylor nodded, handing Zahra another card.

"Yeah, we had to get our food to go. That noise was insane, it was giving me a headache." Taylor had then excused herself to use the washroom. She had not been gone for more than a few moments when she came rushing back.

"Zahra, you'll want to come here and have a look, there's something really wrong!" Kahmunrah followed his niece, and the three found the tablet with the green spot having grown much larger.

"Have you ever seen it like this?" Zahra shook her head.

"No, never. Taylor, go get Uncle Larry and my dad." Taking the tablet off the wall, Zahra could sense as if the tablet was trying to communicate with her. It was as if the tablet was asking – no, begging for help.

"Dad, there's something seriously wrong now. We can't put off any restoration efforts any longer." Akhmenrah nodded. The tablet was dying. There was no two ways about it. There was only one man who would know what to do, and he wasn't here.

"Is there anything we can do?" Larry asked.

"There's only one man who would know what to do and that would be my father. However, he is not at this museum. I do not know where he is, actually." Taylor pulled out her cell phone.

"Do you remember your father's name? I can run a search on him and try to find out where he is."

"Merenkahre is my father's name. How long will this search take?" Within moments, Taylor had an answer.

"Alright, according to this, your father and mother are both on display at the British museum. They were sent there in the 1930s after your family tomb was found."

"That's one questioned answered. The problem is, how on earth are we going to get the tablet to London? We can't just take it."

"Maybe if we explain to McPhee what's going on he might let us take it. It's worth a shot and we'll never know until we ask him." Larry nodded, agreeing to talk to McPhee in the morning. Zahra had been sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. She had been getting the dizziness and queasiness again, but now the symptoms were just getting worse. Kahmunrah went to comfort the young woman. The situation was very bad, even he knew that. The following evening, Larry said he had explained to McPhee what was going on and the director had agreed to allow them to take the tablet to London, along with allowing them to take a few exhibits.

"Alright, so is everyone who is coming to London ready?" Larry had decided that the exhibits that would be coming with them were Teddy, Sacagawea, Dexter, Jedediah and Octavius, and to his surprise, Kahmunrah had offered to come along.

"Okay, everyone get to where you need to be, the movers will be here soon." On the way home, Akhmenrah could see that his daughter was nervous.

"What if we can't fix the tablet?"

"Then the museum will no longer come to life ever again. It would become an ordinary, plain museum." Everyone had packed a small bag with only the bare essentials; money, a few changes of clothes and whatever tidbits of research they had managed to scrape together.

"Larry just called, his son Nicky is coming with us." Zahra nodded; she had never met Nick Daley.

"Alright, is everyone ready to go? We have a flight to catch!" When they got to the airport, they spent about ten minutes waiting for Larry. Once everyone had a chance to use the bathroom, they had just been heading to the boarding area when Larry saw a familiar face.

"Hey Cecil, long time no see." The retired night guard turned to face the other man.

"Larry, it's you. How have you been?"

"I'm good. My son is in university now." Introductions had been made, and the situation explained.

"So the tablet is losing it's power? How is that possible?" Akhmenrah shook his head.

"I do not know, but it has been affecting my daughter Zahra. She has always been able to sense the tablet's powers, even when she was a small baby." Cecil took a glance at the teenager standing before him. She was a spitting image of her father, but at the same time, Cecil could tell that there was more to Zahra that met the eye.

"The entire museum is depending on me and everyone here to save the tablet." Cecil nodded.

"I happen to be heading to London myself to visit my son. Would you object to me coming with you? An extra pair of hands could be useful." Larry nodded. Any extra help was very much appreciated. Everyone got onto the plane and sat together.

"My son Robert happens to work at the British museum, he can get us in. I brought him to the museum frequently when he was a child, so he is aware of the tablet's powers." Cecil told Larry quietly.

"Well, that makes things a bit easier, knowing we can get in. We just have to hope that nobody else who works there gets in the way." Zahra had agreed with Larry, knowing that the last thing they needed was for anyone else finding out about what the tablet was capable of. Of course she'd heard about what had taken place at the Smithsonian many years ago, and Zahra found it hard to believe that her uncle could have been so violent. However, back then, he'd had reason to be.

"Zahra, are you alright? You look really worried."

"Taylor, I just don't know if the tablet can be fixed. Even if my grandfather does know what's wrong, it doesn't mean he can fix it." Although everyone hated to admit it, Zahra raised a good point. Akhmenrah bit his lip. He had not seen his father for such a long time, and with Kahmnrah coming with them, one of the things they didn't need was for there to be an argument between father and son.

"Alright, we're here. Come on everyone." Larry had led everyone off the plane. Cecil however, could see a grave look on Zahra's face. The elderly man could tell that Zahra had a lot more to her than she was willing to reveal, and, after what he had heard from the girl's mother, it made Cecil believe firmly that Zahra was somehow vital to keeping the tablet's magic from dying.

"London seems pretty cool." Taylor said, wanting to try and lighten the mood a little, but nobody said a reply. When they met Cecil's son Robert, he seemed stand-offish and rather rude. Zahra didn't like him, sensing that there was something off about him.

"Alright, you can all stay here until the sun goes down. Nobody ever comes down here, anyway." Akhmenrah could sense that his daughter had taken an instant disliking of Robert, and even he himself could sense that there wasn't something quite right about him. Robert and Cecil had then left the rest of the group to gather their thoughts.

"I don't trust Robert. There's something about him I don't like."

"Well, keep in mind if it wasn't for Robert, we wouldn't have gotten in here."

"I know Uncle Larry, but something tells me that he's not interested in helping us."

"Unfortunately, I have to agree with my daughter on this. If Zahra takes such a quick disliking of someone, then there's a good reason for it. I suggest we keep a close eye on Robert and his father for good measure. It's better to be safe than sorry." Alexandria said, with her husband nodding in agreement.

"Alright, take the lid off the box, the others should be waking up soon." Larry could still sense that Zahra was feeling dread about the upcoming night. Even he himself had seen the connection the young Princess had with her father's tablet. Maybe she would be part of the solution to fix it. To Larry's surprise, over the years he and Kahmunrah had become fairly good friends, despite the events at the Smithsonian. The two men discovered they had several common interests, and of course when Zahra had been born, that had really brought them together. Kahmunrah himself had never married, nor did he have children of his own, mainly because he had admitted he'd died before he had the chance to go searching for a wife.

"Alright, I think we need to find a map first so we know where we're going. This museum is waking up for the first time and we have no idea what's out there."

"If we need to, I can bring up a more detailed map on my phone." Taylor said. She had been sure to charge her cell phone in case they needed it. Larry nodded, taking the map that Akhmenrah had found. He just hoped that they would be able to save the tablet.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Alright, we're in. Now what do we do?" Everyone had gotten out of the crate they had arrived in. Larry looked at the map.

"Well, this says that the Egyptian wing is on the second floor, so that's where we'll head." Akhmenrah could see that Kahmunrah looked nervous. They had not seen their parents for such a long time.

"Are you alright, Akh? You seem nervous."

"Alexandria, I am more nervous than I believe I ever have been. Kahmunrah and I have not seen our parents for such a long time, and the reunion might be a bit strange. However, am I certainly looking forward to introducing you and Zahra."

"I hope your parents will like me." Larry stopped for a moment, wanting to make sure that everyone who he knew was with them. At that moment, the strange, green corrosion on the tablet expanded more, affecting the museum exhibits, but Zahra suffered the worst. The now fourteen year old had completely collapsed, and her normally tanned skin tone was turning an ugly shade of grey. The corrosion then ceased, and the museum exhibits were back to normal for the time being.

"Zahra, darling, are you alright? You frightened us." Kahmunrah helped his niece stand up, supporting the deathly pale teenager while she tried to stand.

" I don't feel good." Larry bit his lip. Now finding Akhmenrah's father was more important than ever.

"Let's regroup. Cecil, what else can you tell us about the tablet?"

"Oh, I knew this day would come. It was in 1938, when I was only a boy of twelve. I went with my father on an expedition to try and find Akhmenrah and his tablet. There was a horrible sand storm coming our way and the locals who were helping all wanted to leave, but my father insisted on staying. He told me to go wait in the tents that we had been sleeping in, and on my way back there, I fell through a hole. Once I was able to get down the massive pile of sand that had built up, I turned on the little flashlight I had with me, and it took me a few minutes to register that I had found Akhmenrah and his tablet. My father said when he found me that he had been searching for the tablet for twenty years and I ended up falling right into it."

"Alright. Is there anything else?"

"Yes, the locals begged us to leave the tomb alone, saying if we removed the tablet it would bring about the end. At first I thought they meant the end of the world, but seeing the tablet now, it makes me realize that the locals meant the end of the tablet's power." The group had set off again, and they passed many exhibits along the way, and there were many interesting things.

"According to this, the Egyptian wing is just down the hall." Taylor said. Good thing she'd charged her phone.

"Akhmenrah, I think you should go in first." Akhmenrah bit his lip and stepped into the grand exhibit. He heard footsteps, and turned to his left, and he could feel the tears coming from his eyes.

"Mother!" He ran to his mother and hugged her as tightly as he could.

"Oh, my darling son! You look far too thin, were you wrapped too tightly?" Everyone else stepped in. Kahmunrah was not willing to risk leaving his niece's side in case the tablet had another little episode.

"Kahmunrah, you are here as well. How are you?"

"I'm doing well, mother. Akhmenrah and I are finally getting along." Zahra smiled at her older son. She was grateful to see her two children again, as any mother would be after not seeing them for such a long time.

"Father!" Akhmenrah was also thrilled to see his father again, and was surprised at the show of affection coming from the older man. Family was very important to Akhmenrah, it had been taught to him from the time he had been a young boy.

"I see you are doing well." Merenkahre normally was a stoic man, keeping himself composed as a Pharaoh should. He was very surprised to see his two sons acting as brothers should. He wondered what had happened.

"Father, mother, this is my wife Alexandria and over there with Kahmunrah is our daughter Zahra." Akhmenrah beamed with pride as he watched his mother fuss over her granddaughter. The teenager didn't seem to mind.

"Have you been feeding this child enough? She's very pale!"

"No, bad tablet! Not again!"

"Oh gods above, not again." Akhmenrah went to comfort his daughter, who was now writhing on the floor in pain. Why did she have to suffer like this, and why was she feeling the worst of it? Once the second episode of the night had stopped, Zahra was laying on the floor, pale, shaking like a leaf and she had thrown up all over herself.

"Father please, I'm begging you to take a look at the tablet." Akhmenrah took the tablet from Larry and handed it over.

"I swore I would keep the tablet's secrets for eternity, and I intend to do so." Akhmenrah was crying by this time.

"Father, please, I'm begging you to do everything you can to fix the tablet. Look at what happened to your own granddaughter! She's been suffering like this for almost a week now, and I don't know why!" Merenkahre looked at his younger son, then to his daughter-in-law and finally to his granddaughter, and then again at his daughter-in-law.

"Is Alexandria from Egypt?" The woman nodded.

"Yes, I was born in the city of the same name. My birth name is Halima, after the high priestess who supposedly helped you create the tablet. I was adopted as a baby and my parents gave me the name Alexandria after the city I was born in."

"Tell me then, is this the worst that Zahra has suffered?"

"That last episode was the worst. Nobody could ever explain it, but Zahra has always been able to sense the tablet's powers, even when she was a newborn baby. If the tablet was having a mood swing, it would affect Zahra's behaviour as well." Merenkahre went to take a closer look at his granddaughter. These incidents were no accident, even he knew that, and looking at his granddaughter, he now understood why. He thought back for a moment to the high priestess Halima, she and Zahra were identical in every way possible. Taking the tablet back from his younger son, he sighed.

"I knew this day would come, Akhmenrah. I remember the very night you born, it was precisely midnight. As a baby, you were quite a loud child, but I cared for both yourself and Kahmunrah, and in an attempt to keep our family together forever, even after our deaths, I had the tablet created. The fact that you were able to receive a second chance at life was no accident. The gods of Egypt granted you this life because it was needed. That did not affect the tablet's power."

"So what is going on, exactly? Can the tablet be fixed?"

"The tablet can be fixed, but the price to pay is a steep one."

"What has to be done? I don't want my daughter to suffer anymore." Akhmenrah bit his lip until he drew blood.

"As I stated, you being granted a second chance at life was no accident. However, from what Alexandria has told me Akhmenrah, you tried to have a second child."

"Yes, we did, and unfortunately we lost the child, who later turned out to be a boy."

"Now I understand everything. All of these major events were not accidents, nor was Zahra's ability to sense the tablet's power. She is in fact Halima's reincarnation, they are alike in every way possible."

"Okay, we get all that, but what does this have to do with saving the tablet? I don't want to lose my friends." Larry said.

"Well, right now the tablet is literally taking the life out of Zahra in order to stay activated. However, this can be fixed. The tablet will need to be soaked in the blood of a priestess under the light of a full moon." Akhmenrah's heart sunk. He knew exactly what his father meant. Zahra would have to die. Literally. He didn't want to lose his only child, but the tablet brought so much joy to everyone. It had essentially allowed Zahra's birth to take place.

"Father, there has to be another way! Zahra is only a child!" Kahmunrah was, to everyone's immense surprise, extremely upset. It then dawned on everyone what exactly the price was. Teddy, always being the museum's voice of reason, spoke up.

" I fully believe that Zahra is the only one who can make this choice herself. It is her life, she can do as she pleases with it. Whatever she chooses to do, I for one, will fully support her decision." The teenager managed to steady herself.

"Thank you everyone. However, I want a bit of time to think this over and to look around at the museum. I promise I won't wander too far." The teenager went off on her own, leaving the room in silence.

"So, there's literally nothing else that can be done to save the tablet?" Larry asked quietly.

"Sadly, no. There is nothing else that can be done. I always wanted to see Akhmenrah with a wife and child, however I never imagined that this is what the gods of Egypt would bring down upon us." Larry sighed. He couldn't imagine losing Nick, and now two of his best friends were faced with the very real possibility of losing their only child. Zahra had always put others first before herself; and had done the same even after discovering her royal heritage. It was something the teenager carried with pride, and Larry only prayed his son would marry a girl like Zahra one day.

Zahra continued her solo tour of the museum, looking at all the exhibits, trying to learn what she could. She had so much life ahead of her; both at the museum and beyond. A small part of her wanted to be selfish for once and not help her grandfather, but she knew that it had to be done. There were things in life Zahra hated doing, but they needed to be done whether she liked it or not.

Passing the large exhibit on the Roman Empire, the teenager came across an exhibit that did not appear to be complete. Opening the large door, she found it was an exhibit on famous pilots. She recognized a few faces, including Amelia Earhart and the Tuskegee Airmen.

"If you want to go look around you can, just be back here by sunrise, okay?" Most of the exhibit's inhabitants left, chattering happily amongst themselves. Amelia came over to Zahra.

"I'd stay away from him if I were you. He's moody and short tempered and I don't think he understands a word of English." Zahra merely shrugged.

"Eh, thanks. I'll remember that." Once Amelia had left, Zahra went over to the young man standing by the window. Besides being a top athlete, the fourteen year old was also a big history buff, and was planning on writing a book about the First World War.

"Do you mind if I join you? I like looking at the stars?" The man turned to her and nodded. Zahra recognized the famous Red Baron right away. She did not know very much German, but was grateful when she discovered he could speak English.

"It's actually quite an honour to finally get to meet you in person. I've read so much about you, but it's different now that I'm meeting you. My name is Zahra." The two shook hands.

"A pleasure to meet you." Zahra found the Baron charming, with an old-fashioned attitude about life. However, there was nothing wrong with that.

"You seem troubled, Zahra. If you wish to do so, I am willing to listen."

"Well, it's kinda hard to explain. You see, my father has this tablet which is what is bringing the museum to life. However, the tablet's power is almost gone and the only way to restore the tablet's power is to soak it in the blood of the priestess who created it under the light of the full moon." Manfred blinked curiously, but managed to understand what he was being told.

"Are you unable to find this person then?"

"Well, this is the difficult part. At one point, my father Akhmenrah was Pharaoh of Egypt. His father created the tablet to keep the family together forever, but of course my father and the tablet were sent to New York City when they were discovered."

"Is there anything else that can be done?" The twenty-five year old offered a friendly smile to the teenager.

"Sadly, no. Part of me wants to be selfish and say no, but at the same time, that tablet is the whole reason I'm here. Sacrificing my life to restore the tablet's power is, according to my grandfather, the entire point of my existence."

"That is absolutely barbaric, expecting you to give up your life."

"I know it sounds that way, Manfred, but it's the only way to restore the tablet." There was a moment of silence.

"Would you like to go for a walk with me?"

Zahra locked eyes with the Baron and nodded, allowing him to help her up. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"That sounds like a very complicated story." Zahra nodded as she finished explaining to Manfred to story of the tablet, and how her parents met.

"Yeah, but my parents just adore each other. They tried to have a second child and my mother did become pregnant a second time but lost the pregnancy. She can't have anymore, and it was only after the loss of the pregnancy that they discovered that I would have had a younger brother. In a way though, I'm grateful that pregnancy wasn't carried to term, because then this choice would have been passed onto my younger brother."

"I have two younger brothers myself, I could never imagine anything happening to them." Turning the corner, the two walked down the hall that had all the animal heads that were stuffed and mounted on the wall. They then went back to the room they had been in before.

"Here, I'll put some music on." Zahra took her phone out and played the song My Immortal by Evanescence. It was her all time favourite song, and she often listened to it when she needed to think about a serious decision.

"Would you like to dance?" Zahra nodded.

"Sure." Having this time alone with Manfred gave Zahra the chance to get everything off her chest and to enjoy herself away from her family and friends. Of course she loved and cared for her family and friends more than anything, but it was still nice to have this time. Once the song ended, Zahra got her phone and took a photograph of herself.

"Come here so I can get a picture with you."

"What is that device you have there?"

"It's called a cell phone. It works the same as a telephone does, but you can take it anywhere with you. Most cell phones now a days can take pictures, record videos and play music." Zahra allowed the Baron to examine her phone more closely, but he didn't seem too interested.

"I prefer speaking with someone face to face." Zahra nodded.

"Yeah, but with cell phones you can keep contact with friends and family no matter where you are in the world. That's what makes them so great." Zahra snapped a few pictures of herself with Manfred.

"Okay, to take a picture you need to press this button here. I'll go stand over there and look out the window and once I'm in place, I want you to press the button, okay?"

"I can do that. If you can do this so easily, then I am more than capable of doing so." Zahra stood by the window and looked outside at the stars and held the pose until the heard the click of the camera.

"Thanks. I want this for my parents so they have something nice to look back on." Manfred blinked.

"I take it you plan to sacrifice your life?"

"Yeah, I do. One of my friends, Teddy Roosevelt once told me that some people are born great, while others have greatness thrust upon them. He said that this decision is mine alone to make and that he would give his full support to whatever I decide."

"He sounds very wise, then."

"Yeah, Teddy is pretty great." At that moment, Dexter came into the room with Jedediah and Octavius hanging onto him.

"Jed, what happened? Is something wrong?"

"Some crazy knight took the tablet and won't give it back! This is the last round up, partner." Zahra nodded.

"Alright, we need to go find the tablet and fast. Manfred, it was nice talking to you, but I have to go." She gave him one last hug and a thank you before running off. They met up with Larry.

"As far as we know, this Lancelot guy hasn't left the museum yet. As long as we can prevent him from leaving, we can find him." Larry then told Zahra to go and check the main lobby. As the teenager ran through the halls, she ran into Manfred again, who by this time had gotten into a physical altercation with the knight she assumed was Lancelot.

"HEY! GIVE THAT TABLET BACK NOW!" Running as fast as she physically could, Zahra managed to tackle Lancelot to the ground, knocking the tablet out of his hands. She quickly grabbed it and took off with Manfred following her.

"There's not much time left. It's now or never." Running back to the Egyptian wing, Zahra found the exhibits from New York, along with her parents and grandparents. They were then joined by Larry and Nick.

"Have you made your choice? As you can see, there is very little time left." Merenkahre stared at his only grandchild. He truly hated that such a young girl had to make such a difficult decision. However, he trusted her judgement, having been told what an excellent student she was at school and how responsible she was.

"Yes, I have decided to go through and save the tablet. Although I do not want to do this, it has to be done. I have to put everyone else before me, because that is what a Princess does." To everyone's surprise, it was Kahmunrah who went into tears, heartbroken over losing his niece. Akhmenrah comforted his older brother, knowing the two needed each other now more than ever.

"Then go with your grandmother and she will help you change into the appropriate clothes." The two women left for a few moments, and returned with the fourteen year old Zahra wearing a pure white skirt, with a strapless top that cut off just above her midriff. She really looked beautiful.

"If anyone chooses to stay behind, I will not think poorly of you." However, everyone came to say goodbye to the fourteen year old. Nick stood by Zahra.

"You're really brave for a teenager. I'll never forget you." Zahra hugged Nick.

"Thanks, Nick. You're like a brother to me, and I'll never forget all the things you've done for me. Taylor, you're like my sister. I know that you'll go on and live your life for the both of us." Zahra gave Taylor the other half of the friendship bracelet and hugged her best friend. She went around, giving everyone a hug and telling them what she appreciated about them the most. Everyone was crying.

"Although I only knew you for a few hours Manfred, what I appreciate about you the most is that you listened to what I had to say and offered very good advice." She gave him one last hug, having developed a kinship of sorts with the German pilot.

"I am glad I was able to help you." Zahra went and stood under the direct light of the full moon and closed her eyes and smiled. Even though she knew what was coming, she was at peace, knowing she was doing something to benefit those she cared about. Feeling the dagger going into her skin in between her shoulders, the teenager didn't make a sound. Zahra could see her own blood literally soaking the tablet and the tablet itself was glowing brightly, it's power returning. The death itself was quick, but it was not painless, and Zahra could feel everything spinning, and then the world went black.

The tablet's power was restored.

It was over.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Merenkahre stared at the lifeless body of his granddaughter, noticing the look of peace on her face. The tablet's power had been completely restored, and would stay this way for an eternity, and for that, he was grateful. Turning to his wife, the couple went to comfort their sons and daughter in law. Kahmunrah was grief struck over the loss of his niece, even though it meant he would be able to continue to come to life at night.

"Hey, Akh, from one father to another, I'm sorry for your loss." Larry put his hand on Akhmenrah's shoulder, and then gave a hug to the former Pharaoh.

"Thank you, Larry." Picking up tablet, Akhmenrah sighed. He would not have held it against Zahra if she had decided against saving the tablet. However, the late teenager had been wise well beyond her years.

"What do we do with her body? We can't just leave her here and how do we explain this to the school?"

"Do not worry, to the outside world, it will be as if Zahra had never been born, but to those who know the secret of the tablet, we will all remember her bravery." Cecil, who had remained silent until now, held his head in his hands and cried. Zahra did not deserve to die to save the tablet, and now he regretted trying to steal it all those years ago. He truly did. Being a father himself, he could not imagine the grief that Akhmenrah and Alexandria were going through. No parent deserved to lose their child, and this kind of grief is not something that Cecil would wish upon anyone.

"Look, something's happening!" Just then, Zahra's body had disappeared, having turned into a little orb of bright light.

"The gods will take good care of her, they have done nothing but what is best." Merenkahre said a silent prayer to the gods to take care of his granddaughter. Everyone went back inside, comforting one another over the loss of a friend.

"I'm sorry we had to meet under these circumstances." Larry said, shaking hands with Akhmenrah's parents.

"You have served my family well. I shall see to it personally that you receive a burial fit for a hero." Larry nodded.

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." Once the final goodbyes were said, Larry took the New York exhibits back to the crate they had come in, getting everyone packed in. Kahmunrah kept the tablet with him. The plane ride back the following morning was silent, nobody said a word. Larry sat with Cecil.

"I now truly regret trying to steal the tablet all those years ago. Zahra didn't deserve what happened to her."

"Yeah, but she did it for us. Zahra always thought of others before even starting to think of herself." When they arrived back in New York, Nick drove Cecil back to the retirement home the former night guard now called home. Akhmenrah and Alexandria went home to grieve privately over the death of their daughter while Larry saw to it that all the exhibits were put back in their appropriate places. When everyone had woken up that night, Larry had delivered the news of what had taken place, and the exhibits were either crying over the loss or they were literally stunned into silence. Taylor had surprisingly stayed at the museum that night.

"Zahra was my best friend, she was like my sister and she did this for all of us. She wouldn't want us to mourn her, Zahra would want us to celebrate her life and accomplishments and to live our lives to the fullest." Larry could see a smile come across Teddy's face. The former president was truly impressed that such a young lady could be so wise.

"Alright everyone, see you tomorrow night." Larry drove Taylor back to where she lived. As it turned out, Nick had stayed with Cecil to help him get over what had taken place and had texted Larry to let him know.

"Thank you, Larry. How did Kahmunrah hold up?" Akhmenrah made some tea for everyone.

"He's shut himself in his exhibit and won't come out. He's taking Zahra's death really hard."

"Kahmunrah just adored Zahra. He never married or had a family, and many women were scared off by his bad temper." Akhmenrah sighed. Kahmunrah had a bad temper and was prone to fits of excessive violence when angry, but he still deserved to find someone who made him happy.

"Well, I just got a text from my niece, she's moving to New York and she'll be coming on as a night guard. I can introduce the two."

"Larry, does she know about the tablet?" Larry nodded.

"Yeah, she came up for a visit not long after I first started working there and I brought her and Nick with me to the museum. She's always asking how everyone's doing. I'm going to call her and let her know what happened." Larry then excused himself.

"Taylor, I know this must be upsetting for you." Alexandria offered her a hug. Taylor had become like a second daughter, and she and Akhmenrah had ultimately adopted her to get her away from the abuse she had been through at the hands of her mother.

"Thanks. I appreciate everything you've done for me. If Zahra taught me anything, it's that I should never take anything for granted, and that I should always be grateful to those I care about, because you never know when a day will be your last.

"That's a very wise thing to say." Taylor nodded at Akhmenrah.

"Yeah. It was really cool getting to meet your parents. I'm glad I got the chance." Larry then came back.

"Okay, my niece knows what's going on and she expresses her sorrow for your loss."

"I have not seen Catherine for such a long time. How old is she now?" Akhmenrah asked.

"Catherine is almost twenty-five. She's grown so much and she's really beautiful too. Like Taylor, she's had a rough life, but never had to go through sexual abuse. In a strange way, I'm grateful for that."

"It will be nice to see her again. I'm looking forward to seeing how much she's grown." Nick then came in the door with a bag in his hand.

"I brought home stuff for dinner tonight. It'll be one less thing to worry about." Alexandria smiled.

"Thank you, Nick. That's very helpful." Over the next few days, it seemed everyone had managed to process the events that had taken place in London. Akhmenrah had gone back to the museum to see Kahmunrah, who was in quite a state.

"Brother, you are worrying everyone." Kahmunrah seemed reluctant.

"I still wish there was something we could have done." Akhmenrah hugged his older brother.

"We all do, but Zahra did what she had to do. How hard do you think it would have been for her if she had not done so and was never able to see you ever again?"

"I never thought of it that way."

"I'm surprised you haven't. Also, Larry's niece Catherine is moving back here to New York and she's keen on meeting you."

"I don't believe you."

"Indeed, she is. I spoke with Catherine on the phone yesterday, and she is studying Egyptology and is writing her final paper on you. I think she'd appreciate it if you would answer a few questions for her. Larry thinks the two of you will get along well." Kahmunrah was surprised. He had never had a woman actually want to meet him.

"Well, I suppose I could answer a few questions for her."

"There you go! Come on, there's a soccer game starting." Kahmunrah was convinced to start interacting more with the museum inhabitants. Although Jedediah and Kahmunrah would never be friends, the two managed to get along.

"How has Kahmunrah been?" Alexandria asked Akhmenrah went he got home that morning.

"He's doing better. I told him about Catherine. You should have seen the look on his face when I told him how keen she was on meeting him." Alexandria and Taylor both snorted with laughter.

"Now that is something I would truly pay to see. It must have been hilarious!"

"It was, he didn't believe me at first!" Then there was a knock at the door, and Larry was there, followed by Nick and his niece Catherine.

"Hey Akh, you remember Catherine." Akhmenrah hugged the younger woman. 

"It's wonderful to see you again. You've become a real beauty."

"Thank you. Again, I'm terribly sorry for what happened." Akhmenrah nodded.

"My wife and I appreciate your condolences. We are getting through this as best we can."

"Well, I am looking forward to meeting your brother. I'm actually really excited about it. I've been writing my dissertation on Kahmunrah for close to two years now."

"You've been working on one paper for two years? That would make anyone go insane." Taylor said.

"Well, it's more like a nine hundred page book, really."

"Fair warning, if Kahmunrah gets mad, run. He gets rather violent when he's angry." Taylor mentioned.

"I'm aware of that. He was called 'Kahmunrah the blood thirsty' for no reason." Larry took Nick and Taylor so they could take Catherine's things back to Larry's apartment.

"I should also give your fair warning that Kahmunrah has a soft spot for women, so it's very likely he'll try and flirt with you." Akhmenrah saw a faint blush come over Catherine's face.

"Well, I'm sure that I'll get along with him just fine." When it was time to head to the museum, Akhmenrah noticed that Catherine took great care in making herself look nice.

"I want to make a good impression." She told him when he asked her about it. The short drive was quiet. When Catherine walked into the lobby, she beamed.

"This brings back so many memories. Riding Rexy was my favourite." When the dinosaur in question came to life, Catherine was greeted warmly.

"Hey big guy, remember me? I know it's been a while. I promise I'll play later, okay?" Akhmenrah then took Catherine so she could meet his brother. The initial introduction had gone very well, and the two hit it off pretty quickly. Leaving the pair, Akhmenrah went back to the lobby.

"How'd it go?" Larry asked.

"It went well. Kahmunrah and Catherine are getting along extremely well." Larry nodded as he left to do his rounds. Alexandria smiled at her husband.

"I think having a friend will be good for your brother. Catherine seems like she's very patient."

"She's got the patience of a saint." Nick said as he got off of Rexy. He folded the blanket up and put it on the front desk so it would be ready for Catherine when she got back. Meanwhile, Catherine was certainly enjoying herself.

"I appreciate you being so willing to answer all my questions. I must be getting annoying."

"After...After everything that has happened in the last few weeks, it's nice to have someone to talk to." Catherine knew what he was talking about, and offered her new friend a warm hug to cheer him up.

"Listen, I know what happened in London, my uncle told me. I've had a pretty rough life myself, but I use what happened to me as a reason to better myself and move forward in life." Kahmunrah remained quiet for a moment. Catherine had obviously grown fond of him over the last few hours. She was really quite pleasant, and highly attractive as well. Catherine's watch beeped.

"I'm going to be down in the lobby if you need me or if you just want to talk. I promised Rexy I would play with him." Kahmunrah watched as Catherine left. She had stirred something within him that he thought he had repressed long ago. Putting her bag down by the desk, Catherine was excited to ride Rexy again. The dinosaur stood patiently as Catherine put the blanket on climbed aboard, adjusting herself so she had a good seat.

"Alright, let's go, boy!" Rexy then took off, resulting in shrieks of delight from the young student. Larry smiled. Catherine fit herself right back in as if she had never left in the first place. He then made one last around to ensure all the exhibits had gotten back to their appropriate places. Once the sun came up, Larry could see that his niece had certainly enjoyed herself.

"It's like I never left." Catherine said on the way back to Larry's apartment.

"Did you get a lot of good info?" He asked her.

"Yes, the information that Kahmunrah gave me is just what I need to finish this. If I get a good enough grade on it, I might even consider publishing it."

"Hey, that'd be great!" Larry opened the door to his apartment and Catherine right away went to lay down. She was exhausted from all the playing she'd done the night before.

Things were looking up for the museum after all.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

The evening of Catherine's graduation from university was an energy-filled buzz of activity. Larry had planned a bit of a surprise party to congratulate all of his niece's hard work and accomplishments. Something else that both Akhmenrah and Larry had taken note of was that Catherine and grown very fond of Kahmunrah, and it seemed he returned that feeling.

"They're really good friends." Larry said to Akhmenrah that evening.

"Yes, it's nice to see my brother have a woman who likes him just the way he is." Akhmenrah thought about what he said for a moment. He had no doubt that the pair had started to develop romantic feelings for each other; it was almost as if history was repeating itself to an extent.

"Go outside and wait for Catherine. I'll take care of everything else." Akhmenrah darted outside where he found who he was looking for.

"Hey Akh. How are you?"

"I'm well. Congratulations on your graduation."

"Thanks, I'm glad school is over. I don't know what I want to do next though. I might take some time to just decompress from the stresses of university life and just do nothing."

"Well, close your eyes. Your uncle has a surprise for you." Akhmenrah led Catherine inside, where all the museum was waiting for her. He gave Larry a moment to do a quick head count to make sure everyone was there.

"Alright, open your eyes."

"SURPRISE!" All the exhibits exclaimed together.

"Oh wow, Uncle Larry, how'd you do all this?"

"It's been planned for a while now." Teddy nodded.

"Indeed we all wanted to reward your for your hard work."

"Thanks again, everyone!" Just then, Catherine's cell phone rang. Everyone went silent.

"Wow, really? They want me? Oh wow, thank you so much!" Catherine shut her phone off.

"What was that, my lady?" Octavius spoke to Catherine with a great deal of respect.

"That was my former professor. I've been invited by Cambridge University to go on a six-week trip to Egypt to study the tombs in the Valley of the Kings." Everyone was buzzing.

"I'm jealous." Nick said. "I've always wanted to go to Egypt."

"As have I, and now I am finally getting the chance, and I have every intention of taking it."

"When do you leave?"

"I leave in a week on Thursday." Larry was very proud of his niece, and he smiled as she darted off to go see Kahmunrah. The pair were best friends, and Larry had begun to suspect that Kahmunrah held romantic feelings for Catherine. She always spoke very highly of him.

"Well, everything is working out well." Teddy said to Larry as the two cleaned up as the exhibits began to return to their correct places.

"You're right Teddy. Everything did work out." Teddy was like a brother to Larry, always willing to offer advice to those who wanted it. In the mean time, Akhmenrah and Alexandria were helping the miniatures get back to their correct exhibits whilst Catherine was with Akhmenrah's brother.

"Will you return to the museum when you come back from Egypt?"

"Kahmunrah, you know I'll return. You're my friend, and I flat out refuse to abandon my friends. I'll take plenty of pictures so I can show them to you when I come back. Where I'll be studying is quite close to where your family was found, so there's a good chance I will see the artifacts that belonged to your father whilst I'm in Egypt."

"Take care of yourself." Catherine smiled.

"I will." A chaste, gentle kiss was shared between the two before Catherine had to leave. When the day came for Catherine to leave for Egypt, Larry drove her to the airport, along with Akhmenrah and Alexandria.

"Alright, enjoy yourself, work hard and call me when you arrive so we know you got there safely." Larry hugged his niece as they trio waved off the young woman. Sitting on the plane, Catherine hummed a tune to herself as she looked out the window. She was looking forward to working with the others who would be there.

"Are you Miss Catherine Daley?" The young woman nodded.

"Yes, that's me. Who might you be?"

"I'm Robert Fredericks. I'm in charge of this expedition." The two shook hands.

"Alright. I'm really looking forward to working with everyone."

"Perfect. I'll show you to your room so you can put your things away. You will be put in charged of caring for the artifacts that we find and take plenty of notes." Catherine understood her responsibilities perfectly. She got to bed early that night, wanting to get a good night's sleep. The following morning, she got dressed, had breakfast and grabbed the things she would need. When she saw the tomb where Akhmenrah and his family had been found, the young woman was blown away at how grand the place was.

"This is amazing. The detail is incredible." Catherine spent the whole day taking pictures, drawing sketches, and taking detailed notes on every little thing she saw. The room where Akhmenrah and his tablet had been found was in perfect condition, as if it had been built only yesterday.

"Amazing, Uncle Larry will love to see the pictures of this place." Stepping back for a moment, Catherine felt her foot hit something. Turning around and bending over, she picked up the item in question. It was a pendant, and right in the center of the pendant was an engraving of the goddess Bastet.

"You are coming with me." Catherine carefully placed the pendant in a compartment on the outside of her bag. She had spent several hours in the burial chamber taking notes and pictures, and she was grateful to get out and take a bath. Afterwards, she showed Robert the pendant.

"It must have been well hidden. What are you going to do with it?" As it turned out, Robert was also aware of the powers of the tablet of Akhmenrah.

"I'm going to take it back home to New York to study it further and then donate it to the museum when I'm finished with it so others can learn from it." The time had passed by quickly, and Catherine was sad to leave Egypt, but she had taken many pictures and had filled several notebooks with notes and sketches of what she had seen. The flight back to New York was a long one, and Catherine wrapped her arms around her uncle.

"How was the flight?"

"Pretty boring. I'm glad to be back."

"Well that's good that you enjoyed yourself. When are you coming back to the museum?"

"I plan to rest for a day or two so I can get over the jetlag and then I'll come back." Once they got back to Larry's apartment, Catherine showed everyone the pendant. Akhmenrah was surprised.

"I have not seen this for such a long time. Apparently this pendant is supposed to have magical properties similar to those of my tablet, but my father never really spoke of this pendant."

"Well, if you don't mind, I would like to study it further." Akhmenrah nodded.

"Of course I don't mind. What do you plan to do with it?"

"Once I'm done studying it, I plan to donate it to the museum. It'll make an amazing addition to the Egyptian wing." It had only been two days when Catherine made her return to the museum. After greeting her friends in the lobby, Catherine went upstairs to search for the friend who meant the most to her.

"You look even more beautiful than the last time we saw each other."

"You're a sweetheart." Catherine showed Kahmunrah the pendant she'd found.

"Akhmenrah said that your father never really spoke of this, but apparent it has magical properties of it's own." Meanwhile, Akhmenrah had gone into what had been his exhibit for many years in order to think. He missed his daughter terribly and he wished he could have Zahra back. Sometimes he wondered how different things would be if Zahra had decided to not help save the tablet's power. Looking over his tablet, Akhmenrah wished he could have his daughter back. However, he knew that was impossible.

"Zahra, wherever you are, I hope you're okay."

If only Akhmenrah had remembered the saying of be careful what you wish for.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I just wanted to say that all the conversations that Zahra has with Hathor and Isis will be written 'like this' where as the conversations between everyone else are "like this" so you, the reader does not become confused.

Chapter Eight

Larry Daley quietly thought about how things had changed in the past year. Kahmunrah, who at first had been intent on killing him, had gone down the same path that Akhmenrah had of truly coming back to life all those years ago, and was now married to his niece. A few familiar faces from the British museum had come to New York for a permanent display, including Akhmenrah's parents, who were thrilled at seeing both their sons with wives who loved them.

"Larry, are you alright? You seem distant." Larry turned to face Akhmenrah.

"Yeah, I was just thinking, that's all. I wish Zahra was here to see all this, she would have loved being able to see her uncle finally get married." Akhmenrah nodded.

"She certainly would have enjoyed that. Kahmunrah is very happy with Catherine, they make a lovely couple." The two men stood silently for a moment.

"Moping won't bring her back though. Nothing will." Another moment of silence. Akhmenrah then left to look over his tablet, still hopelessly wishing that there was a way that he could have his daughter back, unaware that he was being watched by the very person he missed more than anything in the world.

'I want to go home. I miss my family and my friends.' Hathor and Isis both stared sadly at the young Princess, who had found difficulty in having a peaceful after life because of her longing to see her loved ones again.

'You cannot go back. The only thing you can do now is cross over to the after life to find peace.' Hathor however, could see that there was no chance that the young girl would be able to move on.

'Isn't there anything that can be done?' The two goddesses sighed and looked at one another. Although they did not want to do so, they had called upon the god of the underworld, Anubis, for advice.

'There is nothing I can do. The child needs to move on.' Hathor felt frustrated. She truly pitied the child, who only wanted to be with her family.

'Are you unable to see how miserable the child is? Zahra will never be able to find peace because of that.'

'Then she should have never sacrificed her life.'

'Please Anubis, there has to be something that can be done for her. Look at how unhappy she is.' The jackal headed god stared at Zahra for a few moments. He could sense how unhappy, sad and miserable she was. Truth be told, something could be done.

'Well, there is one possibility. However, we must get our hands on that pendant of Bastet. As she and I are opposites, if we can bring our powers together, we could send the child back to the world of the living, but we would need Bastet to give her blessings first.'

'I can call upon Bastet. Isis, you can retrieve the pendant.' Staring back at Zahra, Hathor only hoped that the cat goddess, who was often rather fickle, would agree to this. It had not taken long for Isis to retrieve the pendant in question, and it took even less time for Hathor to summon Bastet. The cat goddess was a tad bit annoyed at having been disturbed from one of her many daily naps, but she had agreed to hear them out.

'We need your assistance. Zahra wants to go back to the world of the living. Is there any way you can help the poor child? She can never move on to the after life because she is unhappy and miserable in this world.' There was a brief moment of silence.

'Why does she want to return? Does she have unfinished business?'

'No, the child misses her family.' The feline goddess thought about it for a brief moment, before she gave her answer.

'I am willing to help. Come here, child.' Zahra got up and went over.

'So, am I being allowed to go home?' Isis nodded.

'Yes. Bastet has agreed to work with Anubis in order to send you back to the land of the living. However, you must understand this. When you die a second time, you will not have another chance to return home once you die. Is that understood?'

'I understand. What do I have to do?' Before Zahra could receive an answer, she shot straight up, and found herself in a hospital. Giving herself a chance to catch her breath, she looked around, realizing she was alone. Zahra got out of her bed, and took the IV lines out of her hand. Looking at herself in the mirror, she noticed she looked older. How much time had passed since her death she wondered? There was only one way to find out. Before she could leave however, a nurse appeared.

"I see you've done the job of taking out the IV lines. I just received a call from your mother, and she says to go to the museum of natural history. Would you like me to call a taxi for you?"

"No thank you, I can walk there. The fresh air will do me good." Zahra knew her mother couldn't have made that call. It must have been Hathor making it appear to the nurse that her mother had called. The nurse handed her back her bag and she left. Walking through Central Park, Zahra was beaming, she was grateful to be back. Stopping for a moment to look through her bag, everything was there. All her things; that were important to her. Pulling out her wallet, she looked at her ID card that had her date of birth on it. According to what this said, she was now almost eighteen years old, which told Zahra that it had been a little over three years since her death.

"Wow, three long years." Spotting a nearby clock, Zahra went over to it to check the time. The museum would be waking up soon, and she knew her whole family would be there, so she decided to go there first. However, Zahra took a few moments to enjoy the twinkling stars. Of course, her family was in the museum, and they had no idea she was alive and well.

"Hey Akhmenrah, how about you invite your father to try playing in the soccer game tonight? I think he'd have a blast." Akhmenrah nodded at Larry.

"I think that's a great idea. My father always enjoyed partaking in sporting events." Larry nodded as the now group of five headed for the lobby.

"Alright, so it's Akhmenrah's team against Nick's team tonight. We have a whole set of teams for this." Alexandria always enjoyed playing soccer. Zahra had been very good at it, and it was her way of retaining fond memories of her late daughter. However, when she got view of the front doors of the museum, she stopped.

"Alexandria, what's wrong?" For a moment, Akhmenrah could not figure out what had gotten into his wife when he heard a very familiar voice.

"MOMMY!" Zahra just ran to her mother, who scooped up her daughter, held her close and cried. Everyone in the museum was floored.

"How though?"

"It doesn't matter how she came back, what matters is that my little girl is back." Akhmenrah just gave his daughter the biggest, tightest hug he possibly could, afraid that if he let her go he would lose her again. Larry smiled at the happy family reunion.

"Where's my uncle?" Larry went over to tell her.

"Well Zahra, a lot has changed since you've been gone. Your grandparents are now on permanent display here. Also, your uncle is alive, just as your father is. He has since married my niece Catherine and Catherine went into labour early this morning, so we should be getting the call any minute now that your cousin has been born."

"So much has changed here, yet everything seems the same." There was a second happy reunion when Taylor arrived fifteen minutes later, and had to be pulled off her best friend so Zahra could breathe.

"It's great to have you back."

"Taylor, it's good to be back." Larry then stood up on the desk in the lobby.

"I need everyone's attention! I just got off the phone, and I am happy to say that Kahmunrah and Catherine have welcomed their third son!" Cheers erupted throughout the museum. Zahra was grateful to have a new cousin, and for Merenkahre, he was just thrilled at hearing he had another grandson. Once the cheering died down, the weekly soccer game went forward. Naturally, Zahra got right into the middle of the action, managing to show her grandfather what the rules were.

"That game is far too rough for my tastes, however Zahra, you are very good at it."

"Yeah, I am good at it. However, I don't want to play professionally. Too much work." As always, dawn approached and Larry had to get everyone back to their respective exhibits.

"Zahra, go check on the flight exhibit for me. I think Dexter is still in there." The teenager nodded.

"Alright, I'll be back in a bit." Heading up the stairs to the second floor and then going down the hall, past her grandparents' exhibit, Zahra found herself in the flight exhibit. She found Dexter.

"Hey Dexter, it's time to go back to your exhibit now. I'll play with you tomorrow, okay?" The little capuchin nodded and scurried off. Noticing someone standing by the window, Zahra went to say something.

"Hey, sunrise is coming pretty quick, you need to get back to your exhibit." The person turned to look at her.

"I thought you had died."

"Well, I guess I earned myself a second chance."

"Are you going to be back tomorrow night?"

"Yeah, I'll see you then." Zahra was of course happy to see Manfred again, even though she had only known him for a few short hours. Getting back to the lobby, Larry handed her the sweater she had left hanging on the chair.

"Here, it's a bit cold out so put this on. Do you want to go meet your cousins?"

"Heck yeah, I do!" Zahra was excited at getting to see the new members of her family. She waited outside the room whilst Larry was taking care of something. She heard the voices of her uncle and Larry.

"Yeah, it's just out here. Follow me." Kahmunrah thought he was going to faint when he saw his niece standing there. He hugged her tightly, not wanting to let her go.

"How did you come back though?"

"I guess the gods deemed me fit to have a second chance." To Kahmunrah, it didn't matter how she came back, all that mattered was that she was back. He brought her into the room, and introduced her to Catherine.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you."

"Yeah. Can I hold him?" Catherine nodded.

"Absolutely. He's quite a screamer, though." Zahra peeled apart the blankets to reveal the newborn baby boy that lay within them. She smiled.

"Hey there little guy. Welcome to the world." The newborn grabbed onto Zahra's finger with a firm grip.

"He's a strong little guy. Does he have a name yet?"

"Well, our first two sons are Akhmenrah and Hasani. Since this is such a special occasion with your return Zahra, I want you to name him." Zahra tried to think of a good, strong name for the newborn.

What about the name Ammon? I think it suits him." So the name for newborn baby was decided upon. Zahra had managed to settle back into her life pretty easily. However, during the time she was gone, Zahra had learned a few things about herself. She gained a new appreciation for her family and friends. Early on a Saturday morning, Akhmenrah and Alexandria were surprised when Zahra made them breakfast.

"You seem a bit nervous darling, is something wrong?" Alexandria would love her daughter no matter what.

"Actually, yeah, something's going on."

"If you want to tell us, you're more than welcome." Akhmenrah said, pouring himself a drink.

"Well...I'm actually bisexual." There was a moment of silence.

"What does that mean?" Akhmenrah had never heard the term before.

"Akh, it means that Zahra is attracted to both men and women." Akhmenrah responded by giving his daughter a hug.

"It doesn't matter who you marry, you're still you." That evening, when everyone was at the museum, Zahra watched them and thought about everything that had taken place.

_A lot has changed at the museum since I've been gone, but I guess that's to be expected after three years._

_Nicky Daley leaves the museum at least a few times a month to continue his training to become a great history teacher._

Zahra then beamed at her uncle, aunt and cousins.

_My uncle and Catherine have a growing family, and that keeps them busier than working here at the museum ever has._

_My own parents have taken on a greater role here at the museum, helping to resolve conflicts between exhibits and during the day, helping to make the museum interesting to anyone who comes here._

_Although it took them a while, my grandparents have accepted my sexuality – they were a little surprised at first, but then again, this is not something they are used to. _

_Larry has also taken on bigger roles here at the museum, and has almost total control over what exhibits come here and which ones leave._

Thinking about, Zahra realized how lucky she really was, and that the best things in life were friends and family, and she could look forward to a bright future ahead of her at the Museum Of Natural History.


End file.
